San Antonio students launch homemade satellite

By Alia Malik, San Antonio Express-News

Updated 10:38 pm, Saturday, February 22, 2014

Balloon Launch

Media: Express News

MARION — With two cameras tied to a big white balloon, about 20 students gathered in a Marion field Saturday morning to prove rocket scientists are not the only people who can take photographs from space.

Led by their photography and animation teacher, Dave Crockett, they counted down from 10 and let go, sending it into the stratosphere 18 miles above the Earth.

“I didn't think it would be possible,” said Josh Weeden, 14. “It seemed so easy.”

Weeden and the other seventh- through 12th-graders are in Crockett's class at the Star Academy and REACH, San Antonio-area cooperative schools for home-schooled students.

Their 600-gram weather balloon disappeared into the wispy clouds at about 8 a.m., towing two GoPro cameras, each programmed to shoot one photo per second.

The balloon, equipped with a GPS tracker, headed north while Crockett, the students and their families charted its progress on the ground. It was designed to pop at about 100,000 feet, activating a parachute that would carry it to some location that on Saturday remained a mystery.

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Students wait to launch a weather balloon during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio.

Students wait to launch a weather balloon during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two

A weather balloon rises into the sky after being released by students from the Star Academy and REACH Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. less

A weather balloon rises into the sky after being released by students from the Star Academy and REACH Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Isaiah Brown, 14, and his classmates watch a weather balloon rise into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Isaiah Brown, 14, and his classmates watch a weather balloon rise into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Katarina Eberhard, 13, and Paris SHeridan, 12, photograph a weather balloon rise into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Katarina Eberhard, 13, and Paris SHeridan, 12, photograph a weather balloon rise into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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(From left) Students Josh Canen, Isaiah Brown, and Julian Crockettt carry the pieces to their science and photography project during a weather baloon launch where cameras will photograph from near space Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. The photography and stop-motion animation classes from two local private homeschool co-op middle and high schools, Star Academy and REACH, raised money to complete this project and will create a multimedia piece using the photos and videos captured from above. less

(From left) Students Josh Canen, Isaiah Brown, and Julian Crockettt carry the pieces to their science and photography project during a weather baloon launch where cameras will photograph from near space ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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(From left) Josh Canen, 15, Julian Crockett, 13, and Isaiah Brown, 14, wait to launch a weather balloon their class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

(From left) Josh Canen, 15, Julian Crockett, 13, and Isaiah Brown, 14, wait to launch a weather balloon their class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH carries a tank of helium being used to fill a weather balloon during his class' project as a creative way for his students to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. less

Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH carries a tank of helium being used to fill a weather balloon during his class' project as a creative way for his students to learn about photography and ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Students lay out a tarp where they will launch a weather balloon during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Students lay out a tarp where they will launch a weather balloon during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Homeschooled middle and high school students watch as their class prepares to fill a weather balloon expected to be sent into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Homeschooled middle and high school students watch as their class prepares to fill a weather balloon expected to be sent into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Ninth grade student, Isaiah Brown, 14, ties a string around the helium tank to tether the weather balloon his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Ninth grade student, Isaiah Brown, 14, ties a string around the helium tank to tether the weather balloon his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH, prepares to fill a weather balloon during his class' project as a creative way for his students to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. His students will create a multimedia piece with the video and pictures collected through the balloon's journey into near space. The camera takes a photo per second. less

Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH, prepares to fill a weather balloon during his class' project as a creative way for his students to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Dave Crockett and his student Jake Teeter, 16, prepare the weather balloon his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Dave Crockett and his student Jake Teeter, 16, prepare the weather balloon his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Students wait to fill a weather balloon with helium during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Students wait to fill a weather balloon with helium during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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(From left) Julian Crockett, 13, and Josh Canen, 15, wait to launch a weather balloon their class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

(From left) Julian Crockett, 13, and Josh Canen, 15, wait to launch a weather balloon their class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH, prepares to fill a weather balloon during his class' project as a creative way for his students to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. His students will create a multimedia piece with the video and pictures collected through the balloon's journey into near space. The camera takes a photo per second. less

Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH, prepares to fill a weather balloon during his class' project as a creative way for his students to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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MiKayla Riddle fills a weather balloon with heliuem Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

MiKayla Riddle fills a weather balloon with heliuem Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Jake Teeter, 16, waits to launch a weather balloon during his class's project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Jake Teeter, 16, waits to launch a weather balloon during his class's project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Jake Teeter, 16, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Jake Teeter, 16, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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(From left) Landon Girod, 17, and Josh Weeden, 14, hold onto a weather balloon while it's filled with helium during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH, talks to his class during a creative project that launches a weather balloon into near space Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. less

Dave Crockett, a teacher at both Star Academy and REACH, talks to his class during a creative project that launches a weather balloon into near space Saturday Feb. 22, 2014. The students raised the funds ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Josh Weeden, 14, holds on to a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Josh Weeden, 14, holds on to a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Jake Teeter, 16, holds onto a weather balloon his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Jake Teeter, 16, holds onto a weather balloon his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

Image 23 of 31

Josh Weeden, 14, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Josh Weeden, 14, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

Image 24 of 31

Jake Teeter, 16, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Jake Teeter, 16, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

Image 25 of 31

Josh Weeden, 14, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Josh Weeden, 14, watches his classmates tie a string around a weather balloon that his class will be sending into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

Image 26 of 31

Students watch a weather balloon rise during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Students watch a weather balloon rise during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two ... more

Photo: Julysa Sosa

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Jake Teeter, 16, watches others tie a string around a balloon that disappeared into the clouds. Now if they can just locate the balloon for its photographs ...

Jake Teeter, 16, watches others tie a string around a balloon that disappeared into the clouds. Now if they can just locate the balloon for its photographs ...

Photo: Julysa Sosa / For The San Antonio Express-News

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Students wait to launch a weather balloon during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Students wait to launch a weather balloon during their class project Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two ... more

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

Image 29 of 31

Isaiah Brown, 14, and his classmates watch a weather balloon rise into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and REACH students raised the funds needed to build the mission payload including two cameras, a GPS tracker, parachute, and 12 foot diameter high altitude weather balloon. The balloon filled with helium will take the cameras up to about 100,000 feet to photograph the Earth from two angles. The students will then retrieve the payload using a parachute and GPS tracker on lend by The Spy Store of San Antonio. less

Isaiah Brown, 14, and his classmates watch a weather balloon rise into near space as part of a creative project to learn about photography and animation Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. Star Academy and ... more

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

Image 30 of 31

(From left) Students Josh Canen, Isaiah Brown, and Julian Crockettt carry the pieces to their science and photography project during a weather baloon launch where cameras will photograph from near space Saturday Feb. 22, 2014 at Zuehl Field. The photography and stop-motion animation classes from two local private homeschool co-op middle and high schools, Star Academy and REACH, raised money to complete this project and will create a multimedia piece using the photos and videos captured from above. less

(From left) Students Josh Canen, Isaiah Brown, and Julian Crockettt carry the pieces to their science and photography project during a weather baloon launch where cameras will photograph from near space ... more

Photo: For The San Antonio Express-News

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San Antonio students launch homemade satellite

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“The GPS didn't work properly for some reason and never gave us a GPS location of the landing, so we have no way of knowing where it went or landed,” Crockett reported Saturday afternoon.

Still, he considers the launch a success. “And my students learned a lot,” he said. “We do plan to do it again, using a different GPS. So we are not giving up.”

The students included an explanation of their project in the package, with the promise of a reward — a large aerial photograph — for the person who found the balloon, Crockett said. If the balloon is recovered, the class plans to use the photographs in a time-lapse project to create a stop-motion video.

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The idea for the project came to Crockett months ago, in an astronomy class he was taking (for fun) at San Antonio College. When the professor showed aerial photos taken by a high school class in California, Crockett thought of his students.

When Crockett explained the project to his students, senior Landon Girod thought he was kidding.

“It was a learning experience,” said Girod, 17. “You can launch a camera into space like that just with stuff you can buy online and in stores. It's cool.”

The project was supposed to teach students about physics as well as photography, but students said they mainly learned that some things are not as impossible as they seem.

Using a Web service, students kept tracking the balloon on their phones. They were prepared for a tree landing with a hooked pole; a pond landing with a grappling hook; or a landing in downtown Austin with faith in the kindness of strangers and the balloon's explanatory message.

“Since we have a message attached to it with contact info, hopefully someone will contact us with it if they find it,” Crockett said. “I will keep you posted.”